ZZ looked up and over from her beer to Sharline as she spoke and took another sip. Listening in as the conversation went on, the buzz ZZ was feeling was starting to fade slightly as she began to loosen up. She stared at the table as the group spoke about nicknames. Hearing Isaiah say her name, ZZ looked up towards him, taking another sip of her beer. ‘Probably shouldn’t have had those two shots…’ ZZ thought to herself. Her thought process was disrupted when she noticed Slavik sit down near her. She nodded her head towards him, acknowledging his presence before going back to her drink. ‘Not drinking? Interesting. Seems like I’m not the only one with a tolerance issue…’ she smirked at her own observations as her buzz heightened when the beer started hitting her again. ‘God I love this feeling…’ ZZ’s eyes relaxed as she looked around with her eyes half closed and smiled on her face as her stress of being here and now knowing more of why she was here made everything less tense. "You guys could call me ZZ. Zirra and Zahari are a bit of a mouthful..."

Last edited by Kyuu on Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Kirill watched his roommate and noticed he was watching him as he put his clothes away. But he understood, Kirill was an unknown to Slavik. He was truthfully doing the same thing, hell, Kirill was beginning to think that he was going to get along with the bigger man. Kirill put his oddly coloured clothing away. When not in uniform he wore a multitude of clashing colours. He nodded to Slavik, his black lock falling in front of his eyes, making sure his hands would always bee seen by the older man. He rolled his forearm, grimacing and taking his daily painkiller, he was waning himself off ASAP. He pulled on his pink scarf, feeling comforted by the weight of the soft cloth. He placed a single photo on his bedside table and bowed his head respectfully. Done.

Kirill hear Slavik say they should join the others and followed quietly, muttering, "Yes, sir." He respected the man, he seemed like he wasn't overwhelmed by distractions and also seemed very straight forward, again, not a hard man to get along with. He listened by the doorway as Slavik grinned and joined the others, much more friendly than he was, but most people were. He was late, he had spaced out in the hall. He heard Slavik defend him and couldn't help but smile, that hadn't happened in a long time. "Sorry," he muttered, looking down and sitting on the arm of a couch, "I was not paying attention to time." He looked around, and asked timidly, "Have I missed anything?"

"You've missed a full round of drinking....," Isaiah commented as Kirill made his way into the room. "Trying to decide nicknames......It's going horribly slow," the young sergeant sighed, taking another sip of beer as he did. "Let's see, we've got Mel, Sharline, ZZ, Ren, and myself taken care of, though it would probably be best if you all just referred to me as Sarge when we're on duty. Aside from that I don't particularly care." Isaiah's eyes shifted between Slavik and Kirill. "Actually I suppose the just leaves you two. What should we call you?" he asked, indicating the two men.

Slavik gave his room mate a sly nod along with a smile as he finally entered the room but said nothing, no need to after all. "As Isaiah said you've missed a couple drinks and the nicknames. Not much else I believe." Privately Slavik was beginning to wonder how long it would take before life stories would be told. He also wondered how most of them would feel like in the morning, after all this was a military base.

"As for nicknames, I'll leave it to a group vote. After all these names come naturally in time but if you can't come up with one, Slavik will do fine." The man gave a shrug, this was the first time he showed any sighs of dismissal, it seemed like he cared very little about what people thought of him or called him."In the end I don't mind what you all come up with."

Kirill looked up and heard that they were getting nicknames, likely for communicating over the radio. It was a good idea. But what could he choose? He heard Slavik ask for the others opinion and knew he could not do that. He didn't have to confidence that the older man seemed to have. He flexed his metallic hand thinking, his eyes concentrated on the walls. He could almost hear his father's thick laugh and the man playfully calling him 'Keen Kirill' when he had watched the military marches. "You may call me KK," he said simply, closing his eyes calmly.

Isaiah burped as he finished yet another beer, setting it down on the table as he did. "So, Slavik and....KK......No, no I can't say I like that last one. Let's just call him Tin Man," the young sergeant sighed as he rose to his feet, wobbling a bit as he did. "Well, now that that's over with, I think I'm going to bed." Isaiah waved goodbye to the others as he stumbled towards the door, catching himself on the frame just to keep his face from smashing into it. "....Unusually strong beer.....," again he burped. "Any of you care to join me?" he chuckled, knowing full well the awkwardness of the question.

The gunman left before anyone could respond though, making his way back to his room alone. Isaiah brushed his hand across the various erotic posters decorated around his room before falling into his bunk and passing out almost instantaneously. The others were free to stay awake a while longer before eventually retiring to their own rooms. The night passed with no interruptions until 7 am when the group was awoken by a loud buzzer built into the the intercoms of their individual rooms.

Isaiah, who was already awake, flinched as the buzzer jolted him into a further state of consciousness. He hated waking up before the alarm. No matter how many times he heard it it always surprised him. Having already showered, the young sergeant got dressed and went to exit his room, that is until he noticed a rather odd jumpsuit hanging from his door. Isaiah quickly noted similar jumpsuits hanging from the other members' doors. He took the suit from its hanger, groaning a bit as he realized this meant he would have to change again. The suit fit snugly, unusually so in fact. "It's almost how scary how accurate they were with the sizes...." Not one to give too much thought to his appearance though, Isaiah made his way outside to wait for the others.

Beep! Beep! Beep! The cacophony of the alarm yanked her from sleep. Sharline's brow knit as her hand rummaged over the nightstand. Morning... Her fingers found the button as the alarm clock clicked off.

She sat up, looking around blearily. The bedroom, darkened by the curtains, was vaguely somber in its grayness. Sharline swooped her legs over the bedside and stood, unsteadily. As she spread the drapes apart, bright gray light streamed into the room. The city of Neo Thermopolis buzzed all around her window. The skyscrapers and other apartment towers rose up from below like silver monoliths, gleaming against a clouded sky. Sharline peered all the way down; cars looked like ants from the 27th story view.

She glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of the mirror above the dresser. A pale-skinned woman gazed back at her from the window. The woman's aura was gray like the surroundings, colored only by the pastel chemise draped against her body. Sharline's fingers grazed over the peach-colored material. She rubbed her eyes before glancing at the clock. Six.

Asmodai wrote:Behind every powerful man, stands an even more powerful woman... right? xD

"I'd come with you." Ren hollered after Isaiah "Pffft, 'come'" She broke out laughing, a bright red flush covering most of her face. A pleasant numbness spread through her mind, and that was only after two beers. After the third, the night became nothing but a blur. How she eventually got to bed was a mystery to her.

The buzzing was like a hot knife cutting it's way into her brain. She groaned and placed the pillow over her head "Oh god make it stop!" It was probably a good thing she didn't have access to any guns at that point, because she was pretty liable to start shooting people if it meant that the buzzing would stop. Luckily for ZZ, the buzzing stopped before Ren would completely snap.

She rolled on her back, hands pressing against her temples. It felt like someone was bashing the inside of her skull with a pneumatic sledgehammer, adorned with cleavers, wielded by a SIREN tank. "Ooooohh... What the fuck did I do last night?" she asked to no one in particular. There were vague images, most involving her making passes at the others, men and women alike. She groaned again, praying to god that nobody else remembered anything of it.

After a few minutes she managed to muster up the courage to try and sit up straight, noticing how she was still wearing the cloths of yesterday. "Goddamn it, I smell like a brewery..." She practically had to drag herself towards the shower, where she turned the water as cold as she could handle. The cold helped her clear her mind and she got out of the shower feeling slightly refreshed, though the headache was still there.

When she got back into the room, still drying her hair off, she noticed two suits hanging from the door. Where they supposed to wear those? Well, that was probably s stupid question, why else would they hang there? "Wait... How did those even get there?" Those weren't there when she last remembered. Given, there was a period where her mind was blank. She asked as she took the suit with her name on it. It looked rather strange. She squeezed herself into the suit, noticing how snugly it fit. A bit too snug perhaps This leaves little to the imagination... she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror, turning around. What are they researching here again?

She peeked her head out of the room, wanting to make sure she wasn't the only one out there in this silly suit. She noticed Isaiah in the hallway and approached him. She crossed her arms, feeling rather embarrassed wearing this thing. Though it was good to see that apparently the men had gotten equally snug suits. "Morning..." Ren croaked. Not looking him in the eyes, given yesterday evening. "I see you got a gimp suit as well?" she attempted some dull humor, hoping that Isaiah was perhaps equally conscious about his appearance right now.

The whispered words from her CO made her breath catch in her throat, and the lingering warmth of his breath on her ear made her shiver. She swallowed, debating whether to turn and look at him, but the decision was made for her, as his strong hands encompassed her shoulders, gently turning her about so that he could look her in the eye. The expression on his face pulled a soft squeak from her, and her bottom lip trembled as he leaned in...

And suddenly, the world began to flash red, with a harsh buzzing cutting through the romantic moment. They both flinched, pulling away from each other as the emergency sirens blared, crimson light strobing in what was once the gently lit common area of the barracks.

Wait...There weren't any emergency lights in there...

Melani pouted as she opened one eye, rolling her head on the pillow to glare at the offending alarm clock. She gave a sound that was half-growl, half-groan and reached a pale arm, decorated with freckles, to shut off the annoying and repetitive buzzer. A sigh left her lips as she stared up at the ceiling in her new bedroom, and she pursed her lips.

”Well, I guess a cold shower's just as good as a hot one...” she muttered before pulling herself out of the bed and toward the bathroom. After a shower that started cold and ended hot enough to lend a decidedly pink tone to her skin, Melani did her morning yoga and dressed herself before opening her door and poking her head out to see if anyone was about. She thought that she'd heard voices out there...

First she saw Isaiah and blushed, then quickly cleared her throat and shoved the embarrassing thoughts to the back of her mind. Then, her world view expanded a bit and she saw Ren standing next to him. Jealousy flooded through her like a hot rage that threatened to blur her vision, and her hand tightened on her doorknob as the smile fell off of her face. In that split second, if looks could kill, then Melani would have faced a court martial.

The emotion was gone just as quickly as it had come as Melly mentally shoved it away, back with her Id where it belonged. In its place, she drew the so-familiar smile onto her lips, the one that so few people could see past. Sometimes, if you lied the same lie enough, it started to become truth, even if it was only a thin veneer of happiness over how miserable you truly were.

She stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her with a force and volume that one would have to be deaf or truly engaged not to notice, and raised her other hand in a half-wave as she greeted the pair with a chipper, ”Morning!”

That was when she noticed the suit, and she could help the irritated little sigh that left her as she mechanically opened her door again.

”Just a moment. I'll be right back,” she said with a flat cheer, then stepped into her room once more, yanking the suit down from its hanging place and all but slamming her door behind her.

She disrobed quickly, an evil part of her mind (somewhere close to where her Id dwelt, she was sure), telling her that every moment she left them alone in the hallway was another moment for Ren (that bitch!) to flirt with Isaiah. And there was no competition, really. All one had to do was look at the difference in their bodies, and the choice was clear.

She angrily pulling the suit on, with a comical bit of hopping around on one foot and knocking a few things over as she struggled to don the damned thing with as much alacrity as she could muster.

After she was clad in the astonishingly well-fitted suit that reminded her pointedly of just why she was so self-concious with her body, she looked into the mirror, trying to smooth her unruly hair, and felt the world crash down around her shoulders as she stared at her reflection.

"Don't be an idiot, Engleton. Even if there wasn't competition, he'd never go for you.” She turned on her heel, giving her reflection her back, and stared at the floor for a heartbeat before she closed her eyes tightly, clenching her hands into fists and forcing herself to take a deep breath, then another. Three, four, five... she mentally counted, taking the time to impose her control over her emotions once again.

Once her bubbly mask was in place again, smile pasted on right where it was supposed to be, she opened her door and stepped out again, telling herself that something good was going to happen today. There was always at least one little thing to look forward to. One little thing, at least, that could keep a person going. Maybe she'd actually get to review the medical charts today...

The rest of the night was, to say the least, amusing between the nicknaming game and Ren's attempts at dancing on the dining table, at some point even trying to tease everyone by trying to strip, it ended with her lying down on the floor as she lost her balance trying to remove the first article of clothing; her shoes. Slavik couldn't help but enjoy the rather lively events after all back at home there were very few of these events. Through out the night he had laughed heartily, a surprisingly deep yet short sounding laugh at that.

As the night winded down, everyone slowly headed off to bed... Ren some some coaxing and carrying as she was still convinced she could dance the night away, even though she was having a hard time sitting up. But weariness was taking it's toll, that or the sheer amount of alcohol in her blood, regardless the night ended with Slavik finally carrying Ren to her bed. The rest of the night was unsurprisingly uneventful save for when he entered his room, the man removed his contacts and made sure that Kirill could not see his eyes, simply stating it was a private matter and left it as that.A curious fact about Cernovian's, they have a terrible sleeping habit which stems from their national paranoia, Slavik slept with his back against the wall and kept himself from falling into too deep a sleep, it meant he'd never dream, the slightest sound would cause him to stir and prepare for an attack, a Maldova raiding party most likely looking for resistance fighters. For most of the night Slavik listened to the sounds of his room mate's breathing, he trusted the man enough, sadly his background forced the man to ensure Kirill wasn't going to try and kill him as he 'slept'. As it neared dawn, Slavik could hear movement in the hallway, suspicious to say the least but as they didn't disturb him, Slavik let it slide.

It was about 5:30am when Slavik began to awaken, another more personal habit of his, as he preferred to be about while the others slept. Making almost no sound Slavik inspected the hallway, noticing that there were now strange 'suits' attached to their doors, each seemed to be specifically designed for each individual member. Which meant that who ever was in change kept close tabs on their body builds. Wanting to inspect things further Slavik began to 'scout' the corridor that lead to their rooms, nothing seemed out of place yet. Perhaps he'd ask Sharline at a later stage today about this.Still the suits were there and considering where they were and why they were there, Slavik had little say in the matter and simply re-entered the room to freshen up with a short shower before making the dye in his hair didn't need reapplying, he'd have to talk with the person in charge of the supplies just in case. When he got out Slavik was unsure of whether or not Kirill was awake or not, Slavik made as little noise as possible as he slipped into his 'new' clothing and began to apply the eye contacts, the light in the room made it impossible to see what the man was hiding.

The suit fitted comfortably, it was almost unnatural. Protective gear in his opinion was meant to sit uncomfortable, it made sure you knew you were wearing it. Still it was missing something, taking his knife holster he carefully placed it in the usual area on his chest before walking outside into the hallway again. It still seemed that the others were asleep and since he couldn't go explore the place properly, Slavik simply sat cross legged around the corner of the men's section to meditate and reflect on the events that transpired over the last few days.

His eyes almost glazed over in concentration when the loud buzzing of alarm clocks went off, it seemed that those in charge wanted everyone awake bright and early, a smile played on his lips as he pictured most of the group would be feeling rather delicate and considering who they were; his amusement would continue after all. Minutes passed and Slavik could hear the sounds of doors opening and closing, mutterings of complaints or otherwise. He could hear at Cole, Ishii and Engleton at different intervals, he'd probably have to start using their nicknames soon but for now he'd have his own fun."Good morning all" He said from around the corner in a quiet yet rather amused voice, slowly getting back to his feet before coming into view, "Looks like the scientists want to run us through some tests. That or they prefer their guinea pigs in tight suits." Slavik gave a dull smile before giving a friendly wink to the others before lying, "Slept like a rock, what about you?"

Kirill woke up after his roommate left, but not much after. He had fallen asleep after the older man but had kept still. He realized the man didn't sleep well, but many soldiers didn't and it really isn't any of his business. He carefully put on the suit he found, after checking it for dangers and he felt wierd in something tight fitting. He rarely put on anything tight fitting, he hated how he couldn't gain muscles, not like his dad at all...

Kirill sighed and put his light pink scarf on over his suit and checking both his arm and his leg, both were working, and the pain was less today. He was glad he couldn't drink with his pain meds, he did stupid stuff when drunk, like those girls last night... Speaking of which, he thought as he left his room, There they are. He walked forward blinking, "Are you aware of what happen last night?" he asked Mel, unblinkingly, "Specifically with you?"

"You and other girl, Ren, you kissed," said the small teen bluntly, "Is that a normal thing for you?" He tilited his head, curious, and adjusted his scarf more comfortably. "Or it was just affect of alcohol? I am not sure who start it though." He flicked the black lock of hair out of his eyes as he watched her reaction to his words, "And no, am not kidding."

"I. Did. WHAT?" Ren couldn't help but overhear what Mel and Kirill were talking about. A cold shiver ran down her spine, yet her face lit up like a red light. She pressed her hands against her temples again and closed her eyes firmly. "Please let this be a joke, please let this be a joke." she mumbled. Melani wasn't exactly the worst looking girl she'd ever seen... And honestly, if it wasn't actually Melani she wouldn't mind it at all. But come on, this was the Pretty Princess for gods sake! This would only make asking her for help even more of a drag.

Which incidentally triggered her mind into acknowledging the fact that they were underground again, once more sending an uncomfortable warmth throughout her body. She groaned loudly and leaned with her head against the cool wall, still massaging her temples. Never again, I'm not touching a single drop of alcohol again. Ever. A lie of course, even though she was a lightweight, she still liked it. "Anything else I should know about?"

”W-wha?” she asked, her eyes widening enough that the entirety of her irises were visible, like little saucers set into her freckled face. Her jaw worked wordlessly for a moment as she looked at Ren, then back at Kirill, then back at Ren. Then it finally unhinged as a hot crimson flush flooded over her face.

This had to be a practical joke....right? She looked back to Kirill, head cocked at an odd angle as she gave him a wordlessly questioning look.

But Ren's reaction shut her mouth, making her shoulders draw inward as though she were insulted as she looked to the other woman, and her lips set into a disgruntled pout as she stared her right in the face.

”Yeah,”, she asked drily as she turned back to Kirill, her embarrassment traded for a flat look that was at once exceedingly strange and entirely at home on her face. ”Anything else we should know about?”

Kirill looked mildly at Ren and then at Melani and spoke very quietly, not liking the yelling, "You kiss her, you seemed to enjoy at time," he said softly, "I not see why you upset, Miss Melani is very pretty. Miss Ren also dance on table and fall over." He wrapped his arms over his chest, stroking his metal hand along his right sleeve. He was not lying, as Mel seemed to think and he was trying to reassure both girls. "Miss Melani did nothing else I remember." He looked to Isaiah and Slavik and asked, "I say something wrong? Am not supposed to mention things that happen when drunk?"

The change was instant. The displeasure melted off of her face as Kirill complimented her, replaced once more with a blush. This flush was of a softer kind than before though, and she reached up to fiddle with her ponytail as she looked away from him. Okay, so he wasn't her usual type...but he thought she was pretty!

...And, well...he was kind of cute...Those big green eyes...and every time she looked at him, something in the Caretaker part of her heart felt a little tug, as if she could see that he was in constant pain and wanted to help.

So he was only two inches taller than her...That would mean she wouldn't have to get up onto her tip-toes to ki...

She coughed, her blush darkening, and glanced at Kirill with an embarrassed smile. ”N-no, you didn't say anything wrong...It's better to know these things...I'll, um...drink less...in the future....”

"It was a surprising move by Ren, I must say. It just came out of nowhere and then smack your lips were glued to one another. It seemed rather chastise at but then but..." Slavik coughed dramatically without cracking a smile, "But then both of you seemed to be more enthusiastic and started using your tongues as well." Slavik looked partially embarrassed until he turned around the corner with a mischievous smile revealing unlike Kirill, he wasn't being serious about what happened.

"Hahahaha, the look on your faces is priceless. I do apologize but this was a rare oppertunity that I couldn't resist. Feel free to get back at me at any time, Ren, Mel." Again Slavik gave a sly smile as well as a wink, "Now aside from that rather awkward kiss the two of you didn't do too much, or at least you didn't do much Mel. Tried to keep the two of you from hurting yourselves after Ren fell off the table."The man returned to his more stoic self as he shrugged off what he had just stated, "Wouldn't want the scientists to start whining to us early in the morning and considering how delicate most of you are feeling right now, I think you'd also agree."

"They're a bit tight but I've gotta say.....pretty comfortable actually," Isaiah commented when Ren first approached him. The young sergeant's eyes scanned up and down the obviously shapely woman as she shifted uncomfortably in the suits. "God bless this country....." he thought to himself, shaking himself away from the curvy seductress. When Melani first entered, Isaiah chuckled as the girl made the same mistake he had earlier and had to retreat back to her room to change.

Needless to say when the girl returned, Isaiah noticed. It was amazing what a tight fitting suit could do for one's sex appeal. "Damn...." Isaiah noted to himself, again shaking the perverse thoughts from his head. That is until Kirill showed up. "...They did what?" The weapons specialist couldn't believe what he was hearing. The one time he cut out of a party earlier and something like this happens? Regardless Isaiah couldn't wait to hear more. He had to physically force himself not to laugh at the girls' reactions, especially Melani's. The joke reached its climax when Slavik entered, hinting that the two women had done a little more than a simple kiss. Nevertheless, they were on duty now, and it was Isaiah's job to keep them on track.

"Ahem," he coughed, getting the group's attention. "Yes, yes, Ren and Mel are both very pretty now lets move on. Tin Man, I want a detailed report of this later." No sooner than did Isaiah finish speaking then did the voice of Dr. Caldwell radiate over the intercoms.

"....Well, you heard the doctor. Lets go. Oh, and if I hear any of you cracking jokes at Ren or Mel's expense then you're all doing a nice 10 mile jog later," Isaiah ordered as he turned and headed down the hallway. It wasn't long before the group arrived at the training grounds, where the found Caldwell, along with two individuals who had yet to be introduced.

".....Good fucking moring," Caldwell groaned, massaging the bags under his eyes. "Few things to go over before we get started. For once, since the government selection committee apparently made a mistake (big fucking surprise there) we're having to do some reassigning. These two....fine candidates," he groaned, " are your new squad members. To accommodate for this late addition we'll be making some adjustments to your sleeping quarters while you're training today." The good doctor flipped a page on his clip board, checking off a few forms as he did. "As you can see, Miss McGovern isn't here yet," Caldwell groaned as a rather redundant thought entered his mind. "Fucking playboy Eckhart probably has her sliding down his pole or something...." the good doctor practically shivered at the thought. "Anyway, while we wait on her to get here why don't you lot take this chance to get acquainted with your new friends. I'll just be over here pretending to give a damn."

Grant Eckhart glanced at the chrome clock mounted on the wall. 6:57. The small conference room was quiet, empty of other souls. A still ambiance hung in the air, maybe because of the early morning hour, or perhaps due to the room's minimalist design.

Eckhart drummed his fingers against the obsidian of the tabletop. Guess I'm somewhat early. Hit all the green lights. He inclined his chin toward the door as a soft clickety-clack echoed down the hallway.

The knob turned, the door to the room clicking open. The familiar figure of Sharline McGovern emerged. Eckhart checked the clock again. 7:01. Not bad. As the young woman turned to close the door behind her, his gaze trailed down her body. The man couldn't help his disappointment as he saw her plain black trousers. No pencil skirt today, Sharline? She turned around and smiled, her face vaguely tired. "Morning."

"Good morning," the CEO returned her gesture. "How was traffic?" Your timing's spot-on.

"Not bad," she pulled out a chair from across the table. "You're here early, actually. The debriefing starts at eight."

Yeah, I know. Eckhart smirked, his fingers grazing down the cup of coffee. Heat radiated from the inside of the paper; the warm sensation was welcome amid the clinical surroundings. "Hey, you want one?"

"No, I'm fine," Sharline touched her face absentmindedly. The blue beneath her eyes contrasted with the pink flush of her lips. Eckhart shifted in his seat. "It's 7 o'clock," she continued. "They'll be waking up now, right?" the woman, oblivious as usual, glanced at her wristwatch. Eckhart grinned.

He took a sip of coffee. "It'll probably take some time for them to shower and change. Do the guys have your suit in inventory? I forgot to ask Dust about that yesterday."

"Yeah," she nodded. "I called him last night. All the suits are accounted for," she glanced down at her electronic organizer, a gray tablet with miniature keyboard. After a pause, she did a double take. "–Wait, are you helping with the demonstration?"

The man smiled. "Of course."

Asmodai wrote:Behind every powerful man, stands an even more powerful woman... right? xD

Max stood with Teo, top unzipped showing her wife-beater tank-top and looking decidedly annoyed while she talked to him waiting for the others, "Seriously, these jackets are f*cking ridiculous, why can't girls have normal tops like the guys? I bet the person who picked these out is a pervert." She almost asked Caldwell who had chosen them but decided he looked like he'd bite her head off if she did.

When the others walked up and Caldwell introduced them Max walked forward still agitated, "Sup, I'm Max and that's Teo. I see they put all the girls in the damn slut-jackets. I'd like to know what the hell they were thinking, we're in the military not a god damn strip-club." She paused and took a deep breath and shook her head to try and clear it and calm down, "Sorry, the jacket put me in a shitty mood. Gonna try that again. I'm Corporal Maxine Diaz, stealth and recon specialist. You can just call me Max."

Teo laughed as Max made her frustrated introduction. He looked down at himself in the snug suit that clung tight to the shape of his body. He couldn't help but grin, these suits were pretty funny. He gave a friendly wave, "Like she said, I'm Private Teo Dalakis, demolitions specialist. I see you are all familiar with these suits too. Pretty great aren't they?"

Isaiah had his usual scowl on when Caldwell started speaking. Honestly it was just too early in the morning to have to deal with him. Max wasn't helping the matter. After giving Melani such a hard time about the formalities the young sergeant simply couldn't afford to be too lenient. "Check your tone, corporal," he grunted, motioning the woman behind him. He next turned his attention towards Teo, who at least had the good sense to introduce himself properly the first time. "Right, right, get in line, private." The weapons specialist turned to face the group, focusing mostly on their two new members. "Alright, for you new people, I'm Sergeant Cole, that's Corporal Galia, Corporal Engleton, Corporal Ishii, Corporal Zahari, and Private Slavik," Isaiah stated in his usual military tone. "Or....since this technically isn't a military facility.....Tin Man, Mel, Ren, ZZ, Slavik, and just call me Sarge for now."

Isaiah thought she was pretty, too?! a little whoop of joy nearly escaped her, but she somehow contained it, even though her smile now was now so bright that it could possibly threaten to eclipse the sun. She knew, she just knew that there would be something good today, but she'd never expected anything like this.

Today could be the best day of her life so far.

Ren could be disgusted at her all day and night forever now, and she just wouldn't care. Kirill and Isaiah both thought that she was pretty! Even Dr. Caldwell's cloud of grump couldn't cover the sunshine of her happiness, and she gave a bubbly wave to the new members of the squad as Isaiah introduced them.

”Medical...and I guess emergency field repair, too,” she chimed in, still beaming with her 6501 K smile.

The men's locker room was empty as Grant Eckhart looked himself over in the mirror. The black pilot's suit was tight, leaving very little to the imagination. Eckhart idly flexed an arm, his bicep bulging against the spandex-like material. Not bad for a 40-year-old... He grinned. Or a 20-year-old. The man turned toward the door. Sharline should be out by now.

The hallway outside was unoccupied, save for a few lab coat-clad passersby. Eckhart leaned back, the wall feeling cool against his neck. After several minutes, the plexiglass door to the women's room slid open. Sharline stepped over the threshold, dressed from head to toe in white spandex. He couldn't help look her over; the material clung to the woman's small shoulders, while accentuating her round, shapely hips. The CEO felt a tightening in his suit. Shit, Sharline.

If she noticed his attentions, the girl played it off. "Looking sharp, Mr. Eckhart," Sharline smiled, the formality playing on her lips as she walked past him. The man glanced at the floor as the click-clack of her suit's footwear echoed down the hallway. "Must be hard to walk in that, huh?" Eckhart met her stride as they continued around a corner. She shot him a sideways glance. "The joys of womanhood."__________

Sharline – Training Day

The door slid open automatically, the training room spreading out before the black-clad blond and white-suited brunette. Caldwell and the recruits were already there, standing in a group some fifty yards away. Sharline's brow knit. They're here early – it's only 7:55. She glanced over at Eckhart, but he didn't seem to notice the circumstances.

"Good morning," the man spoke when they were ten yards away. His tone was jovial, but Sharline perceived a facade as she trailed behind him. So different than the guy who sipped his coffee earlier... She glanced at Eckhart's robust, spandex-covered shoulders, remembering his unguarded demeanor. At least he shows that side to me.

"It's good to see you're all up. And the new faces," Eckhart looked to Max and Teo. "There was a deviation in the Army's selection process, but everything's been rectified," the CEO's smile was easy. Sharline shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I'm Grant Eckhart, supervisor of Project Epsilon," he inclined his chin toward the analyst.

She picked up the gesture in her peripheral. "Good morning everyone," Sharline waved a white-gloved hand. "I met you all yesterday, but for the benefit of Corporal Diaz and Private Dalakis, my name is Sharline McGovern," her smile was genuine as she clasped the organizer tablet against her breast. "I'll be observing your training today with Dr. Caldwell."

Asmodai wrote:Behind every powerful man, stands an even more powerful woman... right? xD